This invention relates generally to mounting devices arranged for releasable securement to a structural panel, e.g., a ceiling, wall, etc., for supporting various types of members, e.g., an electric bulb and reflector, therein.
Various types of devices are commercially available for holding a 50 or 70 watt, 12 volt electric lamp bulb and an associated reflector in a structural panel, such as a ceiling. One such device basically comprises a hollow, tube-like body for releasably mounting a bulb-reflector assembly therein so that the bulb and reflector may direct light out of the panel in which the device is mounted. The body is in the form of a circular sidewall having a lower end from which a peripheral flange projects. The flange serves to engage the outer surface of the panel contiguous with the hole in which the device is mounted. A pair of spring-biased arms are mounted in respective slots in the sidewall at the opposite end from the flange. The spring arms serve to hold the device in place in the panel's hole.
The spring-biased arms are arranged to be manually rotated upward to retracted position flush with the outer surface of the device's sidewall when the device is inserted in the hole in the panel so that the arms clear the periphery of the hole. Once the device is in place within the hole the arms are pivoted outward and downward beyond the periphery of the hole on the inner side of the panel. Each arm is biased by a spring so that its free end engages a portion of the inner surface of the panel adjacent the hole, thereby securing the device in place.
While the aforementioned prior art device is generally suitable for its intended purposes, it never the less leaves much to be desired from the standpoints of simplicity of construction, effectiveness of operation (e.g., resistance to accidental loosening), ease of installation, ease of removal, and adaptiveness for mounting various types of components in various positions therein.